Twin Cats' Encore
by Kraven Ergeist
Summary: With the black cat gone, Spike lingers on after the fight with Vicious. Out of the darkness, another cat is seen...mewing his name for eternity. Spike x Faye, One Shot


**Bebop Fan Fiction**

**Twin Cat's Encore**

By Kraven Ergeist

Disclaimer: No, I do not own Bebop. I love the series, but I do not own it. I own a couple of Bebop Manga's, and I own this fanfic here. But I do not own the series. Let me know when I do, ok?

xxxxx

_The cat no longer lurks in my sleep_, thought Spike, as he laid on the couch. _The puppet master behind the cat is gone. The cat herself…is gone. I am all that remains_.

Spike had not spoken a word since he limbered out of the hospital and back into Bebop. No matter how many times Jet or Faye tried to talk to him, he refused to speak, or so much as eat. He just lumbered around the ship, sometimes on the couch, sometimes in his room, sometimes on the deck of the ship, which had not taken off since it happened.

"Spike?" asked a weary Faye. She wandered into the living area, curious, and yet she knew what she would find. "Spike, look at yourself," she said. "You haven't moved since you got back. You're wasting away."

He said nothing in return.

Faye began to glare. "You haven't even spoken a word to us since it happened! What happened to make you act like this?"

Spike finally turned his head toward her. The look in his eyes spoke millions. The glare that he gave her terrified her; she'd seen it before. That very same look had haunted her nightmares many a sleepless night.

"Don't look at me like that, Spike," she cried. "I can't stand that look!"

His eyes did not move.

Faye began to cry. "Spike, don't do that! Do you have any idea what you're doing to me! I can't take this any more!"

Faye began to weep on the floor by the couch. After a long period of mourning, Spikes mouth curled into his trademark grin.

"So when did you start breaking down?" he asked her.

She jerked up suddenly and stared at him.

"Was if when you got your memory back?" he asked her. "Or was it when I left to fight Vicious? Or maybe you've been breaking down little by little since the day you woke up?"

Faye wavered at his words. They pierced the very heart of her soul. "Spike…how do you read me so well?"

Spike smiled. He slowly limbered to his feet and made his way to his room. "I wouldn't have died you know." He called back.

Faye looked up. "Huh?"

Spike kept walking. "I'm already dead, remember?"

Faye sneered. "Still acting that out?"

Spike waved her off. "The cat was the death of the man. But the dead man learns. The cat has a shadow, and it was the shadow who manipulated the cat into killing the man. Now the dead man has killed the shadow, and the shadow has taken the cat. And now the dead man can finally rest in peace."

Faye didn't know how to react to that. But she knew she didn't want to let Spike get out of it with words, so she followed.

Spike plopped down on his bed and stared up at her. "You still following me around?"

Faye had just about had enough of his attitude. "Listen to yourself! You've practically given up on your life! Look, I've just found out who I am! I've got my whole life to live now! But you? You're…throwing it away!"

Spike didn't even look at her; he didn't have to. The tone of his voice was sufficient enough to make his point clear: "Leave me alone, Faye. I mean it."

Faye stood there, unmoving. Nothing was said and no actions were carried out for the next minute or so, until Faye came up with a decision.

"No."

Spike looked at her harshly. He stood up, his lips in a deep frown.

Faye stood her ground. "You've been alone for far too long. Spike, I've lived with you for months, I know how you function. You're alone, Spike. A dead man is always alone."

Spike's expression changed drastically. Clenching his eyes, he began to fight back tears. "Please…stop."

"No, Spike. Listen," she said. "You've done all you were able to. Now…" she took a large step closer to him and spread her arms. "Just…live!"

Spike was beyond crying now. Tears were slowly pouring down his cheeks.

Faye looked at him with a flicker of hope for the pour soul. "I'm not going to let you live alone, Spike." Her voice began fluttering. "You can't go on like this." She stepped closer to him, so that she could feel him breathing. "Please…" she begged, placing her hands on his chest. "Just live…" and she kissed him silently, not letting him move.

He didn't react, hardly at all, but inside he did. All the pain, the hardships and misery were lifted from his shoulders. The dead man came back to life, as his good eye lit up.

He looked at the woman kissing him just then. Another woman, it was not Julia. It was Faye. Another cat. Only this time…this cat did not seek to take the man's life. This cat was focused more thoroughly on licking his lips.

Placing his hand on her cheek, Spike sighed as he broke the kiss. Looking at Faye, he said, "I know, Faye. I will. I guess another cat has given me nine more lives."

Faye snuggled up closer to his chest, and smiled, just like a cat.

Spike laid down on his bad with Faye still embracing him. He laid there, resting, peacefully for the first time in his life. This life, at least.

Fate sighed. Just before dozing off, she said, "Spike?"

He looked down, not comprehending what she could be asking at a time like this. "Yeah?"

She giggled slightly. "I hate that metaphor of yours."

Spike sighed and laid back on his bed. "Yeah…me to."

xxxxx

A/N: (Old) Just a quick fic that takes place after episode 26. I've been toying with the idea of making a quick angsty romance for Spike and Faye.

Tell me what you think.

I'm out.

A/N: (New) Well, I found this floating around my document files, and decided 'Psh, why not?' and posted it back up here.


End file.
